Directing for Film
- Thread starter 45thronin
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he touches on directing actors.. but mostly he goes over a lot of theory and how to plan out which shots to pick, what you should be concentrating on, and how to keep the viewer involved by not just choosing shots that are irrelevant to the story, how powerful juxtaposed images are and how they can help in different situations.... mamet actually steers clear of directing actors because his theory is that you shouldnt have to rely on the performance of the actors, you need to rely on your talent and pre determined shots to make a good film...
the book keeps a good distance from "how to direct actors" and stays on the topic of what a director should really be worrying about pre production...
the book keeps a good distance from "how to direct actors" and stays on the topic of what a director should really be worrying about pre production...
"This Is Orson Welles" by Orson Welles and Peter Bogdanovich is a wonderful series of interviews that run the gamut of Welles's career as filmmaker, especially the later years when he was essentially an indie guerrilla filmmaker.
"Alfred Hitchcock and The Making of Psycho" by Stephen Rebello is an historical account of Psycho, from securing the rights of the novel to assembling the crew to Hitchcock's famous intricate pre-production.
"Alfred Hitchcock and The Making of Psycho" by Stephen Rebello is an historical account of Psycho, from securing the rights of the novel to assembling the crew to Hitchcock's famous intricate pre-production.
I'd read Bret Stern and Robert Rodiguez' to insure that you actually make a film someday. Then I'd read every book on direction on Amazon.com and decide for yourself which books are the best. There WEREN'T any film schools when I was in college. Sort of tells you how old I am, ey? Oh there might have been out in California somewhere but if there was it wasn't something I knew about much less had access to. When people ask me where I went to film school, I tell them the Univesity of Amazon .com because I am still reading books on direction at my age!
I think you should have a well comprehension of photography, framing and editing. "In The Blink Of An Eye" by Walter Murch will be a good start on the concept behind editing. I think editing is the key of storytelling. At the end is editing that will give the momentum and comprehension of your story. EDITING EDITING EDITING EDITING EDITING.
And when I say EDITING, is not about the F##@%$ computer software or any tools to actually edit. Is more about how to edit, how to make the audience experience your story, your picture.
As a director you MUST know how to do that, and sorry, most of it will happen in the editing room. You have to devote your self to the 3 amigos: WRITING, ACTING and EDITING. The rest is important, Lighting, props, makeup, costumes etc. But not as the 3 AMIGOS W. A. E. If you are not a writing director, at least, anderstand the mechanic of drama (not melodrama) in writing.
R.
And when I say EDITING, is not about the F##@%$ computer software or any tools to actually edit. Is more about how to edit, how to make the audience experience your story, your picture.
As a director you MUST know how to do that, and sorry, most of it will happen in the editing room. You have to devote your self to the 3 amigos: WRITING, ACTING and EDITING. The rest is important, Lighting, props, makeup, costumes etc. But not as the 3 AMIGOS W. A. E. If you are not a writing director, at least, anderstand the mechanic of drama (not melodrama) in writing.
R.
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